Thursday 27 November 2014 14:49, UK
Rob Baxter and the rest of his Exeter Chiefs coaching staff have signed new contracts tying them to the club until 2018.
Baxter has been in charge at Sandy Park since 2009 but his deal was due to expire at the end of the current season.
He was at the heart of the club's rise to the Aviva Premiership and has been a key part of their consolidation in the top division.
Baxter guided the club to two top six finishes, steered the Devon outfit into the Heineken Cup on two different occasions and also helped them to victory in the LV= Cup last term.
We'd all like to think we're better coaches this year than last year and we were better last year than the year before. That helps us.
Backroom colleagues Ali Hepher, Rob Hunter, Ricky Pellow and Mark Twiggs have joined Baxter in committing their long-term futures to the club.
Baxter said: "We talk a lot when we talk about recruiting players and retaining players that we don't like a big turnover of players and we like to give a group time to mature together and develop together and in a lot of ways it's very similar with coaches.
"We'd all like to think we're better coaches this year than last year and we were better last year than the year before. That helps us.
"We're a relatively young coaching group, we're not guys lose to retirement by any means, and we're happy to keep learning and keep developing. That works well for us as a club.
"From my perspective, I'm delighted to be signing a new deal but I'm even happier it's the same group of coaches who are signing to stay here because ultimately they're the guys who probably don't get as much credit as they deserve for the success the team has because I'm the guy in the spotlight. They all work incredibly hard.
"It’s a group that has got a nice balance and a group that I enjoy working with. I think we get on well. We have our odd bicker, Rob Hunter doesn’t like to sit between Ali and I on a match-day because he doesn’t like to interrupt the bickering that goes on between us, but I think that’s a good thing.
"Everyone’s prepared to speak their minds and everyone gets a say in what we do and hopefully everybody feels they’re an important part of the success of the rugby club."
